A hospital treating eating disorders in Brookmans Park has been put under further enforcement action after it was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission.
The CQC found in a report, released on April 29, that Rhodes Wood Hospital was not providing “safe care and treatment to young people”.
The Elysium Healthcare centre has been regularly inspected since April 2019, when the CQC found it did not always adhere to the Mental Health Act Code of Practice.
The 2019 report said that they found two times when staff had “secluded patients” – which the code recognises as a traumatic experience for some patients – but had not reported it as they did not recognise it as a mental health treatment.
The report added that: “Not all patients had contingency plans if things went wrong while on leave.”
However from a February 2020 inspection, the CQC found in one seclusion that proper practices were followed with the Multi Disciplinary Team and then shared with the Local Authority social worker and NHSE.
But the report also explained that on the morning of the inspection, nursing and medical reviews for long term segregation were not provided the CQC until after further requests.
It added: “The medical reviews were not in line with the Mental Health Act code of practice. The record showed a log of the doctor’s signature each day. We noted that medical reviews had not always been undertaken at the weekends and those that had been done were completed over the phone and not face to face.”
A spokesperson for Elysium Healthcare said: “The safety and wellbeing of our patients is our highest priority and so we welcome the scrutiny that comes from our partners at the Care Quality Commission.
“This inspection took place part-way through a long-running quality improvement plan and many of the changes required have already been embedded.
“We also have a new senior leadership team at the hospital who are tasked with ensuring that training, reporting and clinical protocols are all of the very highest standard.
“Due to restrictions during the COVID-19 period, the CQC have carried out paper reviews in relation to the warning notices and have formally confirmed that we have complied with these and have lifted the notice. We look forward to welcoming them back for a full inspection when it is safe and appropriate to do so.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic inspections have been put on hold.
But the CQC’s regulatory role has not changed and it still aims to keep people safe.
If you want to get in touch about a health service please phone 03000 616161 or give feedback via cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care.
For the full Rhodes Wood CQC report please go here.
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